Advisory Committee Chair
Christopher Minnix
Advisory Committee Members
Cynthia Ryan
Jaclyn Wells
Document Type
Thesis
Date of Award
2022
Degree Name by School
Master of Arts (MA) College of Arts and Sciences
Abstract
In American politics, the concept of presidential decorum is upheld through the complexity of political and presidential rhetoric. When Donald Trump became president, he sought to break what standard decorum was in order to justify his desires as president. This breaking of decorum is complex in nature and is paired with mediatization, demagoguery, populism and collectivism, all of which are rhetorical strategies that challenge the norms within American democracy and in turn, have created a shift in what is considered presidential. Donald Trump seeks to utilize his personal ethos alongside these rhetorical methods to infiltrate multiple subsets of society, thus creating a dangerous silent majority that thrives off of these rhetorical tools as proof of Trump’s validity. Trump’s populist actions give way to an immense amount of political otherization, polarization, and ultimately create a lasting impact on democracy for the future.
Recommended Citation
Krall, Nora M., "The Ethos of Donald Trump: Trump's Lack of Presidential Decorum From 2016 Forward and Its Impact on American Politics" (2022). All ETDs from UAB. 126.
https://digitalcommons.library.uab.edu/etd-collection/126